Little Boys Should Not Sleep in Cupboards
by AlienTourist
Summary: Harry and Ginny discover, late at night, their small son sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. Oneshot.


Harry woke up in the middle of the night abruptly, sweating. He glanced around, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ginny lying next to him, peacefully sleeping. Harry got out of bed, intent on checking up on the rest of his little family. James was peacefully sleeping, as was Lily in her toddler bed. Albus was…not in his room. Finding it suddenly hard to breathe, Harry dashed downstairs, his wand at the ready. His son was not in the kitchen, getting a midnight snack. Nor was he in the backyard, continuing the game that Ginny had made him stop playing when it got dark. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He tried to think of where else a little boy could be in the middle of the night. The only answer he came up with was bed. He stumbled back upstairs, ready to look and see whether Al was on the floor of his bedroom for some reason. Ginny came into the hallway to meet him. "What on earth are you making so much noise for?" she hissed.

Harry whispered back, "I went to check on the kids, and Albus wasn't in his bed. I can't find him." Ginny's eyes widened, and Harry knew that her mind had jumped to all the people who hated Harry, just as his own mind had when he first saw the empty bed of his son. Ginny darted back into their bedroom and came back carrying her wand, which she raised and muttered "_Homenum revelio_." Harry looked down at his own wand, sitting uselessly in his hand. He had not thought to use it to help him find his missing son.

Two dim indicator lights blinked in James' and Lily's respective bedrooms. Albus had not crawled into bed with either of them. Then, from downstairs, came another slightly fainter light. Harry ran to see where it was coming from before it disappeared. Ginny followed him.

The light pulsed right in front of the door to the storage cupboard under the stairs. Harry paused, hesitating, before it. Ginny, with a sigh of exasperation, reached around and flung open the door. Inside lay their son, peacefully sleeping, curled up on the floor and holding his stuffed dog.

Harry immediately reached into the cupboard and picked him up. He cradled little Albus against him. Ginny kissed his little head. Albus blinked and began to stir. Harry began to laugh, more out of relief than anything else. Albus rubbed his eyes and peered up at his father. "What?" he asked in his high, innocent child's voice.

Harry sobered and pressed his lips together. "What were you doing in the cupboard, Al?" he asked. Al shrugged. Harry began walking back upstairs, still holding his son in his arms. He sat them down on Al's bed. "Why were you in the cupboard?" Harry asked his son again. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "Cupboards are not a good place for little boys to sleep, you know."

Albus yawned and snuggled into his dad's chest. Harry's throat felt as if it had a giant lump inside it. Ginny looked on, watching the scene with a sad expression. Harry decided he didn't want Albus to sleep alone that night. He stood up and carried the now slumbering child into Harry and Ginny's room and set him down in the middle of the bed. The bed was large enough, after all.

Harry managed to get his son situated without the little boy waking up. Al made a contented sound and stuck his thumb in his mouth. Ginny set the stuffed black dog he had dropped into his arms. Albus unconsciously curled an arm around it. Harry lay down next to his son, still staring at him, and marveling at his incredible good fortune.

Ginny lay down on the other side, smiling down at the two of them. After a moment of contemplative silence, Ginny murmured, "You're absolutely right, you know."

Harry raised his head to look at her. "Right about what?"

Ginny met her husband's eyes. "That a little boy shouldn't have to sleep in a cupboard." Harry smiled weakly and kissed his son's cheek. He reached over and took Ginny's hand in his. She squeezed it, and they fell asleep, comfortable in the knowledge that they were all safe and sound, and all very much loved.


End file.
